


The Devil Inside

by Saffhen232



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Depression, Gen, Not sure how else to tag this to be honest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 06:05:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17360435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saffhen232/pseuds/Saffhen232
Summary: Marco faces his inner demons that he thought were long gone.





	The Devil Inside

**Author's Note:**

> Did this when I was feeling down. And one part I sort of maybe probably took from a DBZ mini speech. I just liked how it worked with it and didn't really want to change it. Fan work, so if you have an issue with it, bite me.

            _“Marco….Marco….MARCO!”_

            Marco found himself face down on the ground, sore and disoriented.  As he slowly began to rise, he took note of his surroundings, or rather the lack there of.  All that greeted his vision was an empty nothingness, a vast, dark void.  If not for the fact that he could clearly see his hands in front of his face, he would have thought he was in a cave of sorts.

            _“Marco!  Meteora, what have you done?!”_

            _‘Done?’_ Thought Marco, _What do they mean ‘done?’_

Marco began trying to think back to how he had gotten to this place.  He remembered Meteora showing up, more monster than human at that point, he recalled her managing to create something within her claws, much like how Star would create something from her wand.

            “Star!” Marco cried out with a start as he began reliving what happened next.

            Meteora hurled her spell at her.  Star was still frozen as she witnessed Meteora’s first spell that was done without the assist of a wand, something that despite the Magical High Commission’s claims of how powerful Eclipsa is, could never do.  His body seemed to respond on its own, shielding Star from the blast.  The impact knocked him out and then he woke up in this space.

            “Where am I?” Marco pondered out loud.

            “Inside your head, boy,” a sinister voice hissed at him.

            Marco’s heart seemed to stop.  He knew that voice.  He remembered it well.  It was the voice of something that he had hoped was gone forever.  Something that haunted his nightmares every night.  He turned to where he heard the answer to his question.

            There was no face, there was no body, just a familiar, evil, sharp toothy grin that Marco would never forget.

            “No…You don’t exist anymore,” Marco whispered, more as a way to convince himself than anything else.

            “Poor, naïve Marco.  Can’t accept what is right in front of him.  You don’t realize, I never left.  It’s like I told you, you can never get rid of the virus,” the creature responded, its voice hinting at the malicious glee it was feeling.

            Marco began covering up his fear.

            “Where am I and where is Star?  Tell me now!” Marco demanded of the evil personification of his monster arm.

            “Weren’t you listening, boy?  We are inside your own head.  Or rather, you are trapped inside your head.  I am in control now.”

            “Star, where is she?!”

            “See for yourself.”

            Behind him, Marco saw that what looked like a portal had opened up.  On the other side he saw the young blonde princess with heart cheek marks looking at him, fear in her eyes, her wand trembling in her hand.

            “Star!” Marco cried out in momentary relief.  But that feeling was short lived as he saw a tentacle lurch out and nab the wand right out of Star’s hands.  Confused, he saw the wand transform and discovered that it was not just any tentacle, it was Marco’s arm, as the wand revealed itself to have transformed into his wand.

            The being bellowed in laughter behind him.

            “That’s right.  You are now just a puppet for me to use as I finally take what we deserve.  You wanted it all, you just never had the backbone to take it when it was so close.  But don’t worry, I’ll make better use of our time than you ever did.”

            Marco sunk to his knees, he felt hopeless.  This was all his fault.  Had he not been so selfish and returned to Mewni in the first place, maybe Star would not have to deal with this.

            “That’s right, Marco.  This is your fault,” the being said, reading Marco’s thoughts like an open book, “You got greedy, you wanted to keep having adventures, you wanted to feel powerful like you did in Mewni.  That was me, those were my desires reaching the surface.  Deep down, you are indeed a monster.”

            “Shut up…”

            “You wanted Star Butterfly to be yours, just like you wanted Jackie Lynn Tomas to be yours, just like you secretly wanted Kelly.  And let us not forget Heckapoo.  That entire time during that test, I was still there, whispering in your ear towards your goal.”

“That’s not true!” Marco retaliated in defiance, “I wanted to prove myself because I was the one who lost Star’s scissors!”

“WAKE UP, BOY!  I am the manifestation of your determination and power.  You think that dimensional entity would even recruit your help with those portals later if not for some other reason?  Don’t fool yourself.  You are not the only one in all these dimensions to do what you have done.  And what’s more, you even betrayed Heckapoo’s trust.  Even for a beast like me, that was not only cruel, but a gutsy move to make.  I am honestly still amazed she didn’t burn you alive after that.”

  And yet you still give all that up for this fallen Butterfly.  But what good is Star now if she isn’t royalty?  A good friend?  Face reality, Marco!  We have the wand.  We have the power.  Let’s conquer this world.  Enslave these pathetic beings.  Let’s feast on their bowels!”

            “I said SHUT UP!” Marco cried out as tears began to fall down his cheeks.

            “Just think about it, Marco.  What have you done that deserves the right to be seen as anything but useless?  You failed Star when she needed you most.  You couldn’t even be her ‘life line’ when she was in that Magic Dimension.”

Marco’s body began to tremble.  This parasite was digging up old wounds that confirmed his insecurities.  He felt empty inside as he recalled how helpless he was to do as he was asked by Star, unable to follow her with his scissors when she went too far.  Marco fell to the ground.  Confused, he saw that he was slowly vanishing.  Nothingness seeming to snake its way up his body.

“And what of that day at QuestBuy?  Everyone else there was showing you that you were never meant to be a squire, that you only got that position out of pity.”

The creature was right.  All those other squires had been training for years just to be there while he was only there because Star handed it to him.  They were far more deserving of their roles than he ever could be.  It didn’t matter what he did in the future, he will always be the one who was given the ‘royal treatment.’  His body continued to fade but he didn’t care, Marco felt that maybe it is for the best if he no longer existed.

“But you were not just a disappointment for that fake princess.  You were a terrible son to your parents.  Never once did you try to visit them.  Maybe their new brat won’t be such a failure and be the son they really need.  And Jackie.  Poor poor Jackie.  You had been pining for her for so long.  But once you had her, you left her high and dry.  I saw the hurt on that girl’s face.  Say what you will about me, but you are the real monster, Marco Ubaldo Diaz.”

“Please, just stop it…” Marco sobbed weakly.  By this point, all that remained of him was his upper torso but as the creature continued talking, picking at the past and how Marco failed, that too would soon vanish.

“Be that way if you want.  But I don’t need your approval to do what needs to be done.  You can’t defeat your foe without me.  Just like that day.  Just like that karate match against that wretch Jeremy Birnbaum.  You would have lost that match completely if I was not there.”

            Marco recalls that day with disgust.  He could believe how blinded by his greed and pride over being able to win that day had made him.  How he pushed away his friends that were trying to help, who warned him to be cautious of his arm.  He may have done far worse to Birnbaum had Star not stepped in when she did.  Marco felt he deserved whatever came next.  Looking back to the scene taking place in the real world through the portal, realizing that the entire time he was falling apart, the monster version of him was fighting Meteora.  She seemed to be losing ground in the fight.  The being that Marco had long since thought to be some small part of him that was indeed evil was doing what he and Star were struggling to do before, what Queen Moon could not finish before.

            “Don’t you see?  Without me, you are nothing,” the demonic voice hissed in victory behind him.

            Meteora was finally on the ground, unconscious.  Marco saw the wand being raised, to strike the final blow.

            _“Marco!  Don’t!”_ Star was screaming.

            Marco watched what was taking place with horror, “What are you doing?!”

            “Finishing what neither of you could ever do,” the creature replied as the wand began to give off a menacing aura.

            “No!  Stop!  You can’t do this!”

            “I can and I will.  There is nothing you can do.  You do not have control over anything anymore, not even in your own mind.”

            _Maybe he is right.  I have no power at all.  I should just let this thing go.  Everyone may be better without me anyway._

Marco begins to cry as he feels his life slip away.  He knew he failed but felt there was nothing more he could do.  That it was too late to fix anything.  His thoughts became flooded with memories as he felt his end draw near.  But what came to mind was not that of the pain and damage he has done from his naïve behavior, but of his friends and family.  The times they laughed, the hardships they faced.  That no matter what, they will be there to help him should he need it.  He saw Kelly, with her contented smile as they watched the Soul Rising together after he helped her with Tad.  He recalled the time when he got to understand Tom better and how they have grown closer as friends despite it all.  And he saw Star, her laughing, smiling face that despite her nature, would take on every responsibility necessary and see things through to the end.  Did he really want to leave it like that?  To vanish and have her take the whole weight of the burden?  No.  That is not what a friend would do.  That is not what a squire would do.

            _“Marco Ubaldo Diaz!  As my squire, I order you to stop this at once!  Please!”_ Star seemed to be begging the command.

            The wand began to lose its glow.

            “What is going on?  What are you doing?!” the wretched voice shouted.

“You may be more of a part of me than I care to admit.  I know now that was what I was struggling with.  But I am a squire now.  And not just any squire, I am the squire of Princess Star Butterfly, The Underestimated.  You may control my body and my soul, but there is one thing a squire always keeps, his duty.”

            Light began to shine into the once dark space.  Marco’s body began to reform, his self-doubt and despair lessening.  The being’s mouth no longer possessed its mocking grin but was now giving an angry look as it appeared to be in pain the more the light shown.

            “You think you are rid of me?  Just like last time?!  You said so yourself, boy.  As long as you live, I will still be here.  It may take years, but I will be the one in control again.  Just you wait!  Just…You…Wait!”

            The final cries of the voice faded into the light.  As it enveloped everything, Marco felt a warmth swell inside him.  He felt a weight had lifted off his chest.  He let out a breath as he felt himself return to his body.  Marco knew that he would never be free of this evil part of him.  But this time, he was not afraid.  He now knew that it was indeed there and would remain a part of him.  He will be ready for when it happens again in the future.


End file.
